The Third Quarter Quell
by TheDarkLord'sMistress
Summary: "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebells that their families and children were those who suffered from their actions most, only relations of previous tributes will be reaped from a pool of five to eighteen year olds." Gale Hawthorne, Victor of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, isn't looking forward to the Quarter Quell.


__Character(s): Gale Hawthorne, Madge Undersee, others__

__Pairing: Gadge__

__Rating: T for Hunger Games-y stuff__

__Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Adventure__

__Notes: For Gadge Month on tumblr (chosen prompt: Posy)__

__)o(__

Gale's heart is pounding in his throat as President Snow makes his way on stage. He doesn't want to know what the Quell will be. He doesn't want a new horror to face. He doesn't think things can get any worse, but they always seem to do just that.

He didn't think it could get much worse than being reaped for the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, but then the year after, Prim's name was called and Katniss volunteered. He watched his friend die along with the boy who loved her and whom, Gale is certain, Katniss would have grown to love if their lives hadn't been ended by a boy from Two and a pack of mutts.

So if there is one thing Gale Hawthorne knows it is that things always get worse.

Snow fishes an envelope out of the box and reads out this year's twist.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebells that their families and children were those who suffered from their actions most, only relations of previous tributes will be reaped from a pool of five to eighteen year olds."

There is a moment of silence in which none of the Hawthornes quite comprehend. Gale stares at his mother, then at Rory and Vick, and finally at Posy. Only now do Snow's words sink in.

Three weeks ago, they were all laughing together at Posy's fifth birthday party, still in awe that they could actually have cake and hot chocolate. Now, he wishes she were younger.

"They lowered reaping age,"Rory rasps, his voice hollow. He was supposed to be the only Hawthorne elligible for the Third Quarter Quell. Now both his younger siblings will be in danger, too.

* * *

Reaping day comes much too fast. Gale trained the children as best he could, but to Posy, it's only a strange new game, and he knows that not one of them has a chance to survive the Games. Not even Rory, who is determined to volunteer if either of the younger two is reaped. Should Posy be called, Gale will lose a sister and a brother.

But there is absolutely nothing he can do. There was nothing he could do to safe Katniss. This year will be no different.

So Gale sits stoically next to Haymitch as they stare out at the crowd. With the younger children, it's hardly smaller than any other year. In a district as small as Twelve, most everyone has a sibling, cousin, aunt or uncle they lost to the Games.

The little kids are the worst. Some of them, like Posy, haven't even started school yet. They fidget uncomfortably in their fancy reaping day outfits because to them, that's the worst part of the day. They don't know any better yet.

Effie's voice cracks as she welcomes the crowd, her eyes lingering on the tiny, innocent faces in the first row for a little too long. She doesn't like this any more than Gale does, he was surprised to figure out after his own Games.

But still, she makes her way to the reaping ball and pulls out a slip, swiftly, as if ripping off a bandaid. The little gasp escaping her lips, the split-second she turns back to look at Gale, already tell him what name he is about to hear.

"Posy Hawthorne."

Gale doesn't realise he's on his feet until Haymitch drags him to a halt, stopping him from running off stage. His mother's agonised scream fills his ears and so does a voice he doesn't think he's ever heard shouting.

"Posy! NO! Posy!"

Prim shoves her way through the other children towards the stage and Gale knows what the next words out of her mouth will be.

But someone else shouts them before Prim gets the chance.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

Her dress as expensive, as pristinely white as every year, Madge Undersee makes her way onto stage, determination written all over her face, the Mockingjay pin Katniss wore last year glinting on her collar.

* * *

He has to wait on the train with Haymitch. She has to say goodbye to everyone she loves.

Her father has to carry her mother into the room. For her mind to be clear enough to see her darling daughter once more, she accepts the agonising pain that the lack of morphling brings.

Madge promises she'll make it home.

_That's what Maysilee said,_ her mother thinks.

"I know you will,"is what she says instead.

Delly Cartwright comes in crying. Madge almost smiles at the fact that she is the one to have to console her friend.

Taftan Mellark barely says a word, just holds her pressed against him so tightly she can hardly breathe.

Primrose comes with the Hawthornes. Posy sits in Madge's lap, unsure why everyone is crying. They were this sad last time they were in this room with Gale. But Gale only went away for a short while. Surely so will the pretty blonde angel?

* * *

Before he went into the Games, Gale despised Madge for everything she stood for. But then he suddenly was richer than her and dragged deeper into this world than her. And he understood.

He spoke to her occasionally. Continued bringing by strawberries even though he didn't need to.

When Katniss was in the Games, they kissed. A lot.

But then Katniss died and Gale understood that everyone he cared about was in danger. He would never be able to convince the Capitol he didn't care about his family or the Everdeens, so maybe he could atleast keep Madge save. So he kept his distance.

Now, there's really no point in that anymore.

The second the train door closes behind her, he pulls her into his arms.

"Thank you,"he mumbles between kisses,"I'm so sorry. Thank you."

* * *

The boy tribute, a fifteen year old from the Seam, doesn't bother joining them for dinner or the replays of the reapings. His mentors have chosen who they'll try to get home before his name was even drawn and he knows it, too.

Gale is selfishly relieved that he doesn't have to look the kid in the eyes.

The reapings are more painful than any other year. The commentators are having a field day with it. Stating which dead tributes – and sometimes, unlikely often, victors – the newly reaped children are related to.

Gale feels like throwing up when the kid from One is called. He remembers stabbing his older sister. Remembers how her eyes went dark. How warm her blood on his hands was. How the sound of her cannon was music to his ears because it meant he was the last one standing.

The boy is only thirteen and a volunteer takes his place as is expected in the Career districts.

Cato Hadley's little sister, a girl so small he can hardly believe she's Vick's age, is called forward in Two. Gale's grip tightens on Madge's hand. He can't hate Cato. As a victor, you feel a kinship, a loyalty to other victors that transcendents all. Even them killing your best friend. And it's hard to hate someone so broken anyway. Cato is what Finnick and Annie would be without eachother, and Gale can't help but pity him. The few seconds before an older girl steps forward are absolutely agonising. And then Olive Kentwell drawls her name into the microphone and Gale realises that, in another world, a just world, she would have been Cato's sister-in-law.

Last year's victor sits on stage with expressionless eyes, his hands clenched into shaking fists.

The districts pass by in a blur until they hit Eleven. A boy who must be Posy's age is reaped. A collective gasp goes through the District Twelve Team. Effie covers her face with her hands."Oh no, not Liz's boy!"

Gale's jaw clenches. He worked with Liz last year, when Katniss and Rue teamed up. She doesn't deserve this. Then again, no one does.

Another little boy volunteers. Trey, Gale realises, Liz's oldest. A boy of nine. The youngest tribute there ever was, Claudius Templesmith is quick to remark.

Madge's face crows more determined at the sight of him and Gale's heart drops.

He hates himself with every fibre of his being, but he can't help but wish that Trey dies quickly, before Madge does anything stupid.

* * *

Madge is a politician's daughter who has been surrounded by Capitol citizens all her life. Coaching isn't really necessary, they decided. So, apart from training, Gale and Madge spend every waking minute – and non-waking minute - in eachother's arms.

"I wasted so much time,"Gale croaks into the dark one night, even though he's not sure she's still awake."I was just trying to keep you safe. But all I did was waste time."

"We have right now,"she replies softly, her hand moving to his cheek, finding it wet with his tears."It's okay, Gale. You'll be okay."

But that's not enough. _She _needs to be okay. Alive and healthy and save and right here by his side until he's old and grey.

"Come home to me,"he whispers."Please, Madge. Come home. Promise you'll come home."

She's crying too as she kisses him."I promise I won't let them win."

But that's not the promise he wanted.

* * *

She teams up with Trey, just like Gale feared.

After she runs into the bloodbath for supplies – absolutely reckless, against everything they told her, just like Gale did – she finds the young boy and they set off together. Only two of the Careers, the ones from Four, were stronger swimmers than Madge, or it might have ended very differently.

The arena has a new terror ready every hour and Gale is tempted to accept Haymitch's offer of a drink or five, but he doesn't. He needs to keep a clear head. To keep Madge alive. If somehow she manages to keep Trey going and decides to sacrifice herself for him, that's her choice and as much as Gale hates it, he has to respect that. He owes her atleast that much.

* * *

She pulls it off. Somehow, miraculously, she pulls it off. Fourteen days and twenty-one deaths later, Trey is still alive. Madge got him into the final three, along with herself and Olive Kentwell.

The two girls are circling eachother now, the hot sun burning down onto the Cornucopia island.

For a while, it's hard to tell who has the upper hand, but then Olive sends Madge flying, and the blonde crashes into the water. In the time it takes her to climb back onto land, Olive grabs Trey and drags him towards her.

His eyes are wide with fear and his bottom lip is trembling. The axe drops from Olive's hand into the sand."I – I can't. I won't. I _won't_. You can't make us."

"They'll try,"Madge says, making her way back towards the other two children."You know they will. Mutts'll come."

And just like that, enemies become allies. They arm themselves, even press a knife into Trey's shaking hands, and take the little boy between them. And they wait.

* * *

There's an uproar throughout the country. Gale knows the districts are instable, especially since last year, but now there is rioting in the Capitol streets. Their eyes have been opened.

The door to the District Twelve mentor's room flies open. Cato stands there, more life in him than since Thresh smashed in Clove's skull."You coming, Hawthorne?"

Gale doesn't ask where to, he just follows the other victor.

There's a few peacekeepers trying to hold them back, but more who push their fellows away and run along with the victors. Others are there, too, Brutus and Seeder and Jules from Five.

They arrive in the Gamemakers' control room to absolute pandamonium.

Enobaria has Seneca Crane pinned against a wall, her fangs bared. Two avoxes are pinning down one of the loyalist peacekeepers. Johanna Mason has turned a chair into a very effective weapon, if the bleeding people around her are any indication. On screen, mutts are closing in on the remaining three tributes. A green-haired woman is frantically typing into her control panel.

Gale launches forward to stop her, when suddenly, Effie's hanging on his arm, stopping him."Celeste's trying to override Crane's commands!"

The woman doesn't even look up when Gloss smashes a peacekeeper's head through the screen next to hers, too concentrated on her work.

A man a few computers over – Plutarch Havensbee, Gale thinks – shouts some code at her and suddenly, the mutts withdraw.

* * *

His own people drag Snow from his mansion while Gale goes with the crew to rescue Madge and the others from the arena.

With Madge finally back in his arms, Gale never wants to let go again. But when Liz comes up to thank Madge for her son's life, he doesn't really have a choice. Olive sticks back awkwardly until Liz throws her arms around her, too.

"You two gave me my son back,"she sobs."You girls are heroes."

"You really are,"Gale whispers as he embraces his girl yet again.

* * *

The country organises its new regime quite quickly. Every District, including Thirteen who revealed their exsistence, gets to chose their own representives for the ruling council, and so does the Capitol. Resources are divided equally and people move between districts.

Posy brings home a little boy with vividly blue hair and despite all the things he ever said about the Capitol, it's the happiest Gale has been all his life.

If his sister can have a Capitol best friend, then she can have everything in the world.

* * *

Life in Twelve runs its course, peacefully and happily.

Gale and Madge get married, with Cato as best man and Trey as ring bearer. Posy glows with pride in her flower girl dress. Hazelle cries through most of the day, constantly hugging her new daughter-in-law and teasing her son about how many grandchildren she expects. Mackenzie Undersee, finally having gotten the treatment she really needed, is well enough to dance at her daughter's wedding. Finnick's smile threatens to split his face in two every time he so much as looks at his wife; pregnancy really suits Annie. Effie, who's taken up permanent residence in Twelve, somehow managed to get Haymitch into a suit and tie. Johanna Mason shows up with Olive Kentwell. No one's surprised.

* * *

Their firstborn is a girl who looks nothing like she has a mother from town. Her tiny little face scrunches into something that can only be described as a scowl.

They both laugh and then lock eyes. Madge raises an eyebrow in question. Gale only nods. That's all they need.

Little Katniss is the first of the Hawthorne children, but by far not the last.

Both Gale and Madge always dreamed of a large family, and in this new Panem, there's nothing to stop them.

* * *

Twenty years later, when their Katniss marries Taftan and Delly's Peeta, it feels strangely as if a story started long ago finally has its happy ending.

_)o(_

_all I was trying to do was write a super adorable Gadge drabble with some Posy in it_

_I have no idea what happened_

_But I like it_


End file.
